Monastery Musings

Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict 

March 2018
Vol 12, Issue 3

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In This Issue
Prayer Requests
Alternative Spring Break
Lenten Project
Enterprise Gratitude!
Hearts, Rocks and Lights
Spring Cleaning
Organ Concert
Quick Links
    
 
 " ... we urge the entire community during these days of Lent to keep its manner of life most pure ... and look forward to holy Easter with joy and spiritual longing" (Rule of Benedict 49:2&7).

As I write this, it's Holy Week, and the sisters are preparing for the Triduum, the period from Holy Thursday evening after the Mass of the Lord's Supper through Easter Sunday morning. We keep this as time of silence and reflection, trying to join ourselves with the Paschal Mystery of Christ's suffering, death and resurrection. You are most welcome to join us for services during this time.

Some of us approach the end of Lent with a sense of relief, but I hope that many of you will have been able to use it to find some extra time to spend with God and to deepen your relationship with Christ. A Lent intentionally spent preparing for Easter, and with that always in mind, truly makes this great feast more meaningful. St. Benedict was wise to see that if we have used Lent to ready ourselves for the glory of the resurrection message, we can more clearly see how amazing is the love of God, who gives the Son's very life to set us free.

May you have a joyful and blessed Easter!

Peace,
 
Karen Rose, OSB
Director of Mission Advancement

Prayer Requests 


We are thrilled that many of you have returned the prayer request card we enclosed with our Easter cards. We began praying for these intentions during Holy Week and will continue to do so until Pentecost. The cards have been placed in a basket  by the font in Sacred Heart Chapel.

Thank you to the many people who returned a donation with their prayer request. We are so touched and grateful that you did this. However, we want you to be sure that we do not expect a donation. It is our privilege and joy to pray for you.

Please note that you can submit a prayer request online throughout the year.

Photo: Karen Rose, OSB

 Alternative Spring Break 



Do sisters get a spring break? They do if they accompany a group of College of  Benedict/Saint John's University students on the alternative spring break program, which enables students to volunteer and learn about a different culture.


This year, Sisters Marina Schlangen (above, back row, second from left) and Philip Zimmer (front, extreme left) accompanied a group to Red Lake, Minnesota.

Sisters Dorothy Manuel (right, back row, second from right) and  Bridgette Powers (front, extreme left) accompanied a group to Guatemala.

Thanks to these sisters and to the students who chose to take such a worthwhile spring break. 
Lenten Project

The Mission Advancement team decided to undertake a Lenten project. On March 22, they spent the morning packing boxes of food for Kids Fighting Hunger, a local non-profit whose mission is to feed the hungry locally and globally. In total, they packed nine boxes, which equals 1,944 meals!
 
Pictured (left to right): Sister Bernadette Weber, Amanda Motz, Sister Ione Jesh, Tara Feld, Sisters Pat Ruether, Tammy Shoemaker, Karen Rose, Nina Lasceski and Margaret Mandernach

Photo: Cathy Wogen, executive director of Kids Against Hunger
 
Enterprise Gratitude

At a community meeting on March 24, Sister Thomasette Scheeler (L) was thanked by Prioress Susan Rudolph (R) for her many years of service heading the monastery's Monastic Enterprises. Monastic Enterprises has been at the center of production and retailing for items handmade by sisters.

S. Thomasette, who is an accomplished artist and artisan, will now focus on her own creative work, while the re-imagined Whitby Gift Shop will manage sisters' handmade items.  

Photo: Karen Streveler, OSB

Hearts, Rocks and Lights

Sister Trish Dick serves as a spiritual counselor at Shodair Children's Hospital in  Helena, Montana. She works with young people who have experienced severe trauma. This week, she shared an activity that she developed for use with children who are in the acute stage of trauma. 
 
She took a beautiful quilt with a design of ragged hearts and asked the children to pick the ragged heart that represented them. They then chose words to put on rocks representing what they need to keep their light aflame. Finally, they balanced the rocks on their ragged heart with the light on top.
 
Photo: Trish Dick, OSB 
Spring Cleaning

"The best way to find out what we really need is to get rid of what we don't."
  Marie Kondo

 
We did a little bit of spring cleaning during Lent here at the monastery. Sisters were able to bring unwanted possessions (books, clothes, shoes, office supplies, etc.) to a designated space, and all items were donated to different charities in the St. Cloud area. A big thank you to S. Georganne Burr for arranging this donation day.

On a practical level, if reading this has made you realize that you've accumulated a lot of "clutter," you may be interested in the workshop being led by Beth Rademacher on April 28 about hoarding and how to manage having too much "stuff."

Photo: Amanda Motz
 
Organ Concert

Sunday, March 11, we were honored with the gift of music at an organ concert in Sacred Heart Chapel, performed by organist and our long-time friend, Lola Wolf (L). It included the world premiere of "Quia Ergo Femina" by composer and new friend, Yiğit Kolat (R). Lola Wolf commissioned  this work to honor our foundress, Mother Benedicta Riepp. It was a wonderful concert that drew in a full house of people, and we are extremely grateful to Lola and Yiğit for their incredible gift. Thank you!

Photo: Karen Streveler, OSB  
 

Thank you for sharing your time, talent and treasure with us as we respond to the needs of the world. Your partnership is vital to us as we strive to bring a ray of hope to a dark world.

If you'd like to partner with us to support our mission and ministries, you can make a secure online donation to the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict here.

Sincerely,

Karen Rose, OSB
Director of Mission Advancement
Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict